Brothers get prison for 2007 killing

San Diego  Two brothers who pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in connection with the 2007 shooting death of a man in Encanto were sentenced Monday to prison.

Jaime and Ramiro Lizarraga, ages 21 and 25 respectively, were charged in the slaying of 53-year-old David Coronado of Lemon Grove.

Authorities believe the siblings fled to Mexico immediately after the shooting. They were arrested in Tijuana last year.

The younger brother, Jaime, was sentenced to 18 years in prison during a hearing in San Diego Superior Court. In addition to manslaughter, he had also admitted to an assault on another inmate in county jail.

Ramiro Lizarraga, who was on parole at the time of the shooting, was sentenced to a 17-year prison term. He has a previous conviction from 2006 for assault with a firearm.

Police and prosecutors said the shooting occurred in the early morning hours of Nov. 18, 2007, in a backyard off Brooklyn Avenue near 61st Street.

Deputy District Attorney Christine Bannon said the victim was hanging out and drinking beer with friends hours before the shooting. As night fell, the brothers showed up with a gun and started antagonizing people at the gathering.

Put off by the brothers’ behavior, people started to leave, the prosecutor said. Coronado and others tried to diffuse the situation, but they were unsuccessful.

Only the brothers and Coronado were present in the backyard when the gun was fired, the prosecutor said. Residents came back outside to find Coronado’s body on the ground.

Jaime Lizarraga, who admitted a gun-use allegation, is believed to have been the shooter, Bannon said.